Akron Visits No. 20 Ohio State Before Hosting Butler

Wednesday, February 26

Columbus, Ohio

3:00 PM

University of Akron

Ohio State

Akron Visits No. 20 Ohio State Before Hosting Butler

February 25 | Women's Lacrosse

OHIO STATE: LIVE STATS | LIVE STREAM ($)
BUTLER: LIVE STATS | LIVE STREAM

AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron lacrosse team faces a pair of matches this week as the Zips travel to battle No. 20 Ohio State before welcoming Butler to InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field for a 12 p.m. tilt on Sunday (March 2).

PARKING UPDATE: Akron lacrosse fans are encouraged to park in Lot 6, 9 and 10 (Surrounding the Field House off Vine and Union Streets) for this week's lacrosse matches. Parking in other lots without appropriate UA permit is subject to ticketing by parking services. Please enter through the main doors to field house off South Union Street.

ZIPS NAME TRIO TEAM CAPTAINS FOR 2025:
The Akron senior trio of Noelle Boyd (Murrysville, Pa.), Jaelyn Clinkscales (Rochester, N.Y.) and Bryanne Harner (Friendswood, Texas) will serve as the Zips' captains for the 2025 campaign.

SCOUTING AKRON:
Sophomore Sienna Hinchcliffe (Rochester, Minn.) leads the Zips in goals (17), points (22), shots (32) and shots on goal (24). Noelle Boyd paces the squad in draw controls (23), while ranking second in ground balls (9) and third in shots (17). Junior Katie Baumer (Rochester, N.Y.) directs the team in assists (6). Senior goalkeeper Hannah Sanders (Massillon, Ohio) has registered 25 saves and a team-high 13 ground balls.

SCOUTING OHIO STATE:
Akron is meeting Ohio State for the second time in program history. The 20th-rated Buckeyes enter their showdown with the Zips at 3-0 on the campaign following a 14-8 victory at Vanderbilt on Saturday (Feb. 22). Sophomore Kate Tyack leads Ohio State's offensive efforts pacing the squad in goals (8), points (9), shots (18) and shots on goal (13). Junior goalkeeper Jocelyn Torres has collected 32 saves and four ground balls on the campaign en route to posting a 6.33 goals against average. Ohio State is led by second-year head coach Amanda Moore, who owns an 11-9 ledger as a head coach for the Buckeyes and is 46-68 overall in eight seasons as a head coach.

SCOUTING BUTLER:
Akron is meeting Butler for the second time in program history. The Bulldogs enter their showdown at Youngstown State on Friday (Feb. 28) at 0-2 on the campaign following a 19-8 setback versus Stetson on Feb. 9. Freshman Maggie Lewis leads Butler's offensive efforts pacing the squad in goals (5), points (5), shots (11), shots on goal (9) and draw controls (9). Freshman goalkeeper Alyssa Lentz owns 22 saves and a team-best 10 ground balls on the campaign en route to posting a 17.62 goals against average. Butler is led by third-year head coach Maggie Zentgraf, who maintains a 7-26 ledger as a head coach for the Bulldogs and is 27-38 overall in five seasons as a head coach.

IN OUR LAST MEETING – OHIO STATE (FEB. 18, 2024 – AKRON, OHIO):
Akron dropped an 18-3 decision to Ohio State on Feb. 18, 2024, at Stile Athletics Field House.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Junior Heather Carey (Williamsville, N.Y.), Jaelyn Clinkscales and Sienna Hinchcliffe led the Zips with a goal apiece in the affair.
• Hinchcliffe paced Akron with a team-high five shots, including two on goal.
• Kylan Rhude led the Zips with a team-best four ground balls, while junior Dani Dahl (Fairfax, Va.) and redshirt senior Antonia Trickett (Cleveland, Ohio) added two caused turnovers each to go along with a trio of ground balls from senior Kylie Harris (Lake Norman, N.C.).
• Rhude and Hannah Sanders posted seven and four saves for Akron, respectively.

IN OUR LAST MEETING – BUTLER (MARCH 1, 2020 – AKRON, OHIO):
Akron fell short to Butler at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field, 14-7, on March 1, 2020.

Leading the offensive attack for the Zips Kaitlyn Morris, Kaija Kunttu and Alexis Kiefer, who each had two goals. Sarah Pattison also contributed with one goal.

Gianna Buzzelli led the Zips in caused turnovers with four, while tying with Morris for the most ground balls with three. Abby Lerch earned the start in goal, grabbing 12 saves.

OUR LAST TIME OUT:
Sparked by a six-goal explosion from Sienna Hinchcliffe, Akron earned a 16-4 triumph past Presbyterian on Saturday (Feb. 22) at Stile Athletics Field House.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Junior Katie Baumer (Rochester, N.Y.) and junior Kellen Fletcher (Valencia, Pa.) and senior Graceann Schwab (Rochester, N.Y.) added three, two and two goals, respectively.
• Netting a goal each was Noelle Boyd, Jaelyn Clinkscales and sophomore Kaitlyn Sikorski (Plymouth, Minn.).
• Clinkscales registered a game-high three assists, while Baumer added a pair of assists to go along with one apiece courtesy of Kylie Harris, redshirt senior Chloe Herrera (Houston, Texas) and Sikorski.
• Baumer recorded a game-high nine shots, including seven on goal, while Hinchcliffe matched her with nine shots, with six shots on net.
• Redshirt senior Antonia Trickett (Cleveland, Ohio) netted five caused turnovers and a team-best three ground balls.
• Hannah Sanders recorded four saves in net for Akron, while Boyd posted six draw controls.

IN THE LATEST MAC RANKINGS:
• Akron leads the Mid-American Conference in assists per contest (8.00), ground balls per tilt (20.67), points per game (20.33), shots per tilt (32.67), save percentage (.500) and goals against average (7.31).
• Sienna Hinchcliffe leads the conference in goals per game (4.25), shots per contest (8.00) and in points per outing (5.50) and is fourth in assists per match (1.25).
• Noelle Boyd leads the league in draw controls per match (5.75), while ranking fourth in assists per outing (1.25) and seventh in ground balls per contest (2.25) and in shots per game (4.25).
• Heather Carey is rated fourth in assists per game (1.25).
• Hannah Sanders ranks first in the league in goals against average (6.58), second in save percentage (.490) and fourth in ground balls (3.25) and in saves per game (6.25).
• Katie Baumer is second in assists per tilt (1.50), third in points per game (3.75) and in shots per outing (6.00) and eighth in goal per match (2.25).
• Kellen Fletcher is seventh in points per match (2.75) and 10th in goals per game (2.00).

ZIPS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS:
• Hannah Sanders is ninth in the NCAA in goals against average (6.58*), 27th in ground balls (3.25*) and 33rd in save percentage (.490*).
• Sienna Hinchcliffe is rated 11th in the NCAA in goals (17), 12th in points per tilt (5.50) and in points (22), 13th in goals per contest (4.25), 16th in shots per game (8.00) and 19th in shots on goal (6.00), while Noelle Boyd is 42nd in draw controls (5.75).
• Akron ranked ninth in the NCAA in scoring defense (6.50), 12th in assists per game (8.50) and in clearing percentage (.930), 15th in scoring margin (6.75), 19th in ground balls (19.00), 22nd in points per tilt (21.75), 23rd in winning percentage (.750), 24th in save percentage (.500), 25th in shots per match (32.00), 28th in draw control percentage (.581), 33rd in shots on goal (22.75) and 37th in scoring offense (13.25).
• Noelle Boyd is ranked ninth among active NCAA D1 leaders in ground balls (115) and in draw controls (4.57), 14th in ground balls per game (2.05) and 25th in draw controls per tilt (4.57), while Hannah Sanders is rated 24th in ground balls (91) and 40th in saves (232).

UP NEXT:
Akron visits Lindenwood on Saturday (March 8) for a 1 p.m. ET match.